Strawberry Days
by LilacLilyFlower
Summary: Series of oneshots from my Reaching Trilogy (Hikari's story). Requests are taken about anything (generations, AU, ships, etc.) Rated M in case.
1. Chapter 1

REQUESTED ONESHOT: Sasuke and Hikari, Slapshipping

_Milestones_

(Note: This is an AU in which Sasuke doesn't leave for Orochimaru)

-O-O-O-O-

The first time he kisses her at age 12, she slaps him across the face before silently walking away.

He remembers the look in her eyes clearly: quiet fury smoldering in depths of reflective blue. What he doesn't understand is: why did she slap him? He liked her, and she liked him. Right?

They had experienced the Massacre together; they had laughed together, trained together, and attacked Shisui together. When he recalls his childhood, his happy memories, he recalls _her_.

So why was it that she didn't seem to feel the same way?

-O-O-O-O-

The next time he kisses her at age 14, she slaps him on the shoulder and shoots him a frown.

_I'm already dating someone_, she says. _ Don't kiss me_.

He knows already, of course. It was the idiot Inuzuka that she had saved during the invasion of Konoha. She should have just let him stay asleep in the genjutsu and get impaled by the kunai.

_Does it matter?_ he asks. _I like you either way_.

Her eyes narrow (annoyance and offense clashing into a whirl of anger) and she coldly retorts, _Oh, and I suppose it doesn't matter if I don't like you back_.

She storms off again, probably to meet up with the mutt.

_Tch._

-O-O-O-O-

He kisses her again at age 16, and she slaps his hand away from her face.

This time, he sees no issue with anything. She knew he liked her. He knew she broke up with Kiba months ago. They both knew that he was going to kiss her, and they both knew that she had let him before jerking away.

_What now?_ Sasuke asks as he angrily runs a hand through his hair.

_I can't, _she responds. _Not with you._

_Why? Why not me?_

_Because you're going to kill Itachi._

And everything suddenly crashes down around him.

_Unbelievable,_ he whispers. She steps towards him, but he steps away.

_So you're telling me to not go after the man who killed my family? The man who took everything away from me? You know what he did. You _saw_ it, like me._

_Sasuk—_ she tries.

_You saw the blood everywhere. You saw my parents, you saw Fumiko! You saw how he had stabbed her through the heart, how he stabbed his _fiancée_, and the way the blood mixed with her hair. You saw her laying there, eyes clouded. You saw all that, and you want me to let Itachi live?_

He knows that he's gone too far. Her face closes off and she stops trying to reach him.

_I do. I do want you to let him live. You don't know everything that happened that night, Sasuke, and I refuse to believe that Itachi, who loved you and Fumiko and his parents beyond reason, would just mindlessly slaughter his entire clan to "test his strength"._

She leaves him glaring at her chakra residue as she disappears.

-O-O-O-O-

After he learns, he kisses her.

_Please._

She doesn't slap him.

He recalls how Itachi poked him in the forehead before falling. _Sorry, Sasuke. Tell Hikari I'm sorry, again. I love you, Otouto. Maybe another time._

Then he was dead and everything was swirling around him in a vortex of confusion because Itachi shouldn't love him, he shouldn't be sorry, and his entire world is crumbling apart.

Until Danzo approaches him and tears his world down even more.

So he kills him, takes the arm that's implanted with Sharingan, and burns it before heading back to Konoha on autopilot, even though his chakra is almost gone and his injuries are causing him to lose blood at an alarming rate.

And when he makes it back, he immediately goes to her apartment, because he needs someone who will understand.

_Sasuke!_

He startles her when she's making smoke tags, and she hurries him towards her bathroom before pulling out the first aid kit.

_I killed Itachi._

Her hand still, and he can imagine the betrayal flickering across her face, and the words she'll say hanging in the air. He raises his eyes to hers with a weary acceptance, ready to take anything she does, even if it means losing contact with her forever.

Something changes when his eyes meet hers, and she stares back for a moment before slowly beginning to tend to his wounds.

_I see_, she murmurs. The silence stretches until she's done bandaging him, and he blurts, _I know why. I know everything. Danzo told me. I killed him too. Itachi says he's sorry._

He spills everything, burying his face in his hands, and she's horribly still again, mouth dropped.

Then he kisses her while she's still registering his words.

_Please_.

She lets him kiss her one more time before gently leading him to the kitchen.

_You need to eat and rest._

She gives him plenty of water and food, but he can barely keep down a mouthful, so she makes him change into some of Naruto's clothes and go to bed, _You can stay the night, _and when she turns to leave the room, he chokes out, _Don't go. Not now._

She faces him, but he can't meet her eyes again, and instead twists his hands in the covers, seeing Itachi's blood on them even though it had been washed off. He hears her sigh, and the bed sags under their combined weight.

She doesn't comment when he holds her tightly as if he would lose her too.

-O-O-O-O-

He wakes up to a hand stroking his hair.

_Sasuke, you need to get up._

He confuses Hikari for his mother at first, but remembers everything, and can't move.

Itachi, gone. His father, a traitor.

Hikari.

He wraps his arms around her and buries his face into her shoulder, but she pushes him off. _No, Sasuke. You won't heal like this._ And he knows that she's not talking about his injuries.

She urges him to go through the motions, that it'll keep him sane, and he placidly allows her to direct him around, wondering how she knows what to do.

Then he realizes that she was speaking from experience, and muses blankly about who she must have lost to be able to know.

She brings him along for team training, and he tags after her with a vacant expression on his face. Sakura freaks from his wounds and heals him, and Naruto yells nonsense at him like he always does, and Kakashi evaluates him with a keen eye, but Sasuke doesn't do anything except keep red hair in his vision.

He stays the night again.

-O-O-O-O-

The war starts, and he refuses to leave Hikari alone at any time, because he's already lost so many that he won't lose her, but the dead begin to rise and _Itachi is there smiling at him_, and he's fighting with them against the enemy, and Sasuke feels anger and hope and bittersweetness at seeing him again, but when he begins to glow and disappear, Sasuke panics, because Itachi is leaving him again.

Then Hikari is beside him and he can feel her chakra pulsing in the air, and Itachi pokes him, _I love you_, he closes his eyes and accepts that his family is gone.

Sasuke enters the war again with a new motivation, to revolutionize the world so that others won't have to lose everything they hold dear, and he's hopeful, even optimistic of their chances when Kaguya appears.

_I'm going to lose everything again._

But Naruto is dazzling and strong, and Sakura and Kakashi and Hikari are waiting for him, and they beat Kaguya somehow, against all odds, and _they won the war_.

And everyone's hugging each other, and Sasuke sees Naruto glomp Hinata and smirks, before feeling the steady chakra next to him, and turns to Hikari and sweeps her into his arms and kisses her.

Naruto is yelling and Sakura lets out a scandalized shriek and Kakashi just sighs and the others are surprised, but it doesn't matter because the war is _over_, and he's kissing Hikari, and _she's kissing him back_.

He can feel her smiling against his lips, and he knows that even though his blood family is gone, he still has friends that are family, and the future is in his arms, smiling up at him with a shining smile.

-O-O-O-O-

They marry at age 21.

When he moves to kiss her, she grabs his collar and pulls him forward, and _she's_ the one that kisses _him_.

-O-O-O-O-

A/N: Well, I'm satisfied with how that turned out.

This was requested by a guest reviewer. **CutieMochi00**, I'm sorry I couldn't do your request, but if I did, that would reveal spoilers, and we wouldn't want that, right?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last time!

Look toward the close future for the next official chapter of _Reaching_!


	2. Chapter 2

Another request!

ROAD TO NINJA: Namikaze Hoshiko and Hyuga Neji (RTN!Hikari and RTN!Neji) (RTN!Skyshipping)

He likes the female body.

He can't help it; it's just so wonderful with all its sizes and figures and variation! His cousin says he "ogles" at all her friends, and he admits: he only sees their bodies and not their faces. He identifies girls by their bodies.

Except one.

Namikaze Hoshiko, daughter of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, legends in their own rights, and twin sister of Namikaze Menma, the boy dating Neji's cousin.

Whenever his eyes strayed past her collarbone, he always mentally Juuken'ed himself in the face.

_No. Bad._

He didn't exactly know why. Maybe it was because she was shy (that couldn't be it, Ino wasn't shy and he checked her out all the time), or because her parents were the Yellow Flash and the Bloody Habanero, or because her brother could, and would, kill him if he ever looked at her wrong.

Or maybe it's because ever since they were younger, she would smile freely, eyes lighting and cheeks dusting with a slight pink. And she would smile at _him_ (she still does), with no judgment or mistrust, like every other girl. She was innocent and got easily flustered; she was _cute_ and timid and kind, unlike his cousin.

So when he came across her in the Hyuga compound, long red hair secured in a loose sidebraid and wearing a large sweater that completely swallowed her entire form (which was good; he wouldn't be able to see anything even if he wanted to), he asked her why she happened to be there, to which she answered,

"Ah, I just told Hinata-san that Menma will be late for their," blushing before the next word, she said, "date.

When she blushed, she looked down in obvious embarrassment, and brought up a hand to twirl the end of her braid.

Neji brought up a hand to cover his face. He was blushing too; he knew it. Remembering the look she had on her face, his knees gave and he crouched on his heels.

_Too cute. Her expression is too cute_.

"Neji-san?"

Glancing through his fingers, he saw her worried face hovering over him. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, and mouth slightly parted.

Covering his face again, he said, "Please don't make faces like that." At her dumbfounded _Huh?_ he elaborated. "When you make faces like that, I don't know what to do."

Her eyes grew wide at this declaration, and he couldn't restrain himself anymore.

"I'm sorry about what happens next."

Quick as lightning, he got up and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into the top of her head.

Her hair smelled like peaches.

She squeaked, but he cut her off before she got a chance to say anything.

"Is this okay?"

She was silent for some time before relaxing and resting her cheek over his heart.

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

High school AU (that my friend came up with for me, bless her heart. She ships Hikari with...well, you'll see in this)

REMINDER THAT ALL ONESHOTS I WRITE ARE NOT CANON UNLESS I SAY SO. THIS IS NOT CANON...OR IS IT? ONLY **_REACHING_** WILL REVEAL.

_Eyes of Fate_

-O-O-O-O-

Ever since she was born, Hikari could see fate.

Fate was a beautiful thing. The strings and threads that intertwined and wove together, connecting people, appearing when two people met, were in various colors and places. The threads could be there at birth, or appear randomly, and sometimes break.

Some, like green threads, stood for eternal rivalry. Others, such as a royal blue cord, meant true friendship, like the one both she and Naruto had that connected to Sasuke, whose entire family could see and cut threads of fate. And of course, there was the famous Red String of Fate that stood for fated lovers, like the one that her parents had on their pinkies.

Naruto's red string appeared today.

They had been running to the bus stop, because Naruto woke up late, and the umbrellas they were using had been completely useless. There was a purple-haired girl who was already waiting at the stop, and in his rush, Naruto had run into her.

"Ah, sorry!" he hastily apologized.

"Good job, Naruto. Great way to start our first day of high school!" Hikari sarcastically chirped. She turned to the other girl. "Sorry about my brother, he's an idiot at times."

"Hikari! That's mean!" Naruto whined.

She was about to retort when she saw his pinkie. _Red thread? But the only person that we met today is..._

Hikari whipped her head around and stared at the purple-haired girl, who was hesitantly answering Naruto's questions.

"So your name is Hyuuga Hinata? Cool! And you go to Konoha High too, right, because your uniform is the same as Hikari's! It's your first year? Wow, us too!"

There. On both Naruto and Hinata's pinkies: a red thread that _definitely_ wasn't Hikari's hair.

On the bus, she whispered to Naruto. "You have a new string."

"Really? Where? What color is it?"

"On your pinky. It's red."

Naruto let out a loud gasp that had the people around them aim them weird looks. "Shhh, don't be so loud!" Hikari hushed. Then, bending her head towards him as if conspiring, she breathed, "It's that Hinata girl."

Naruto almost gasped and craned his neck to see her, but Hikari slapped her hand over his mouth and grabbed his shirt collar.

"Remember, Naruto, that this doesn't mean you'll end up with her for sure. I've seen couples that had red strings that connected to other people, or broken strings, or have them appear while they were in a relationship. You have to work to protect the thread."

He pouted. "Okaaayyy, don't worry! It'll be fine!"

When the bus stopped in front of their school, Naruto raced ahead to catch up with Hinata. Hikari sighed as he tripped before regaining his balance.

"Clumsy idiot," a smooth voice droned.

Hikari smirked before turning around. "Hi, Sasuke."

"Hm."

They walked towards the school building in silence, before Hikari broke it. "Naruto got a red thread today." She received no response, but she could feel Sasuke's attention perk. "It's connected to that girl he was chasing. Hyuuga Hinata."

Sasuke hummed. "Hyuuga, huh? Like Hyuuga Neji?"

Hikari almost stopped walking. Oh Kami, how could she have not made that connection before? Hyuuga Neji was the bane of her existence. Hikari had taken advanced classes one year up ever since junior high, and that had put her in many classes with Hyuuga Neji, who would frequently tug her pigtails (which is why she changed her hair this year to letting it loose. There's no way she would let him touch her hair this year.) He had always scored a little higher, run a little faster, and always taunted her, saying that it was fate that put him ahead of her.

"...and what does he know about fate anyways? It's not like he can see it, like us," she ranted to Sasuke as he looked for his class placement. Hikari needed to check hers, but it was in the second-year corridor.

Sasuke sighed. "There's always going to be someone better than you," he remarked a little darkly. Hikari gave him a long look, reading the double meaning behind his words.

"Sasuke, Ita-"

Someone bumped into her, and her books fell to the ground. "Oh, sorry, let me get those for you."

"No, it's my mistake for standing in the middle of the hallway," she responded, eyes on her books. History, Math, Biology... where's English?

She looked up to ask the other person, because they probably had her English book, which was also when they looked up. Their eyes met and narrowed simultaneously.

"Hyuuga-san."

"Namikaze-san."

Hyuuga Neji dropped her English book into her arms. "I see you're going to be taking the same classes as me again this year. Do try to keep up."

She smiled poisonously at him. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. There's nothing to keep up with."

His cheek muscle twitched, and Hikari could see him struggle to keep his expression smooth. _Ha, take that, Hyuuga. If there's one thing I'm better at, it's facial control. I can beat Uchihas!_

"Of course you don't understand, you never do."

Hikari just smiled at him again and turned around, grabbing Sasuke who was waiting for her with a bored look, ignoring his fangirls (who were everywhere, everyday). Sasuke gave her hand an annoyed look, before a huff left him.

"Hikari."

"Sasuke, I'm not in the mood."

"No, Hikari, you've got a red string on your hand."

"Sasuke, that's probably my hair. It falls out more now that it's not tied."

"Hikari, I mean it. It's around your pinky."

This time, she halted in her footsteps. _What?_

She risked a quick peek at her hand, and sure enough, there was a delicated thread of crimson tied tightly around her pinky finger. She closed her eyes and said with deceptive calm, "Please tell me it's not connected to you."

"I'll ignore the implications of that comment. No, it's not me."

She sighed with relief and opened her eyes to trace her thread. It led back to the direction of the class placement postings, and as her eyes trailed along it, it came to a stop at a very familiar hand. A hand that, in fact, had given her back her English textbook just a few minutes prior.

_No._

Hikari couldn't stop her eyes as they slowly went up the person's body to affirm her realization. She saw pants, a collared shirt, and the blue tie that second years had, unlike the green of first years and yellow of third years.

_Please tell me I'm wrong._

Her eyes slowly lifted to see a jawline that could belong to only one person.

_This is it. I'll see if I'm wrong or not._

Blue eyes met white.

And Hikari saw those eyes stare intensely into her own, so intensely that her breathing almost stopped. And even when Sasuke tugged on her sleeve, and a second year with a bowl cut shook Neji, they didn't break eye contact.

Hikari felt a warmth tingle in her throat, which spread up her neck to her ears and face. Why? Why is it him, of all people? Even Sasuke would be better.

And Hyuuga Neji tilted his head before smiling- _smiling! At her! What the hell?_- and turning away.

-O-O-O-O-

A/N: GUYS, I'M BACK.

AND I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS AU. SERIOUSLY, I MIGHT WRITE AN ENTIRE FIC BASED OFF OF _**REACHING**_ WITH THIS AU. (BUT SHIPS MAY BE DIFFERENT).

In other news: I'M BACK.

I'll update _**Reaching**_ later today. Bye!


End file.
